Brattle theatre gives Hollywood scene a rest

Tired of all those gaudy Hollywood movies? Looking to see films more like Memento? Well search no farther! The slightly rustic atmosphere of the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square features films whose budget matches the throwback theatre itself, a refreshing change from the stadium surround-sound theatres that these days house mainstream Hollywood box office giants.

Just outside the Harvard Square T-stop, the theatre offers old school amenities at a price of $8.50 for a night show. It boasts but one 250-seat auditorium that has welcomed the likes of legendary and innovative directors, Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut.

The theatre also offers a unique membership program through which theatre-goers pay $60 for discounts on tickets and at area stores. The memberships go all the way up to $10,000, the "gold screen" package, which allows 25 free admissions, reduced rates to rent the theatre, and numerous other benefits.

From its inception as the home of the "Brattle Theatre Group," founded to house actors jaded by Harvard film group scene, the Theatre has had no problem doing things a little differently. In the 1950s, the Brattle gained notoriety for adopting a de facto policy of hiring government blacklisted actors during political witch hunts. It's pioneering regional theatre and ensemble casts that attracted many a copycat down the line.

When, in 1952, the theatre transformed into a film house after the theatre company finally folded, it made its mark on the surrounding area. It routinely played foreign films, virtually unknown to Hollywood movie buffs but prominent among the avant garde theory of the director that emerged around this time. Amongst these revamped film ideas, the theatre put on a weekly showing of Humphrey Bogart movies that became a tradition during finals at Harvard in the 50s. The theatre gained its place as distributor of many important indie films in the United States.

With its rich history, the Brattle continues to set the standard for film in the Boston area. Its quirky style juxtaposes fun films, like the Bugs Bunny Film Festival of last weekend, with the upcoming Russian Ark, an innovative new Russian film that exposes a single uninterrupted take through a former Czarist palace, premiering this coming Friday.

The Brattle Theatre now is the home for the Brattle Film Foundation. While the Foundation strives for the tradition of only the best films, it also reaches out to films suffering from neglect. Recently, the Foundation has undertaken a program to improve the theatre, including seat replacement, repainting, and updating the projection equipment. To execute the project, the Foundation requires lead donors to get the project off its feet.

As a long-term goal, the theatre hopes to establish itself as the center of film in the community. This project includes tentative plans for a museum to house memorabilia as well as a place to host visiting filmmakers. The program would serve to educate the public and preserve the rich history of film. What better place to put a museum than such a landmark in the Boston film scene.

The non-profit organization also offers work opportunities to students as volunteers or interns, which provides a unique opportunity on the cutting edge of unique films.